1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable terminal by which an interior space thereof can be efficiently utilized and a performance of an antenna can be improved, and which can be made light, slim, short, and small.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a portable terminal refers to a device, such as a digital audio player, a Portable Multimedia Player (PMP), an electronic book, and a portable communication device, which allows a user to access various contents while being carried by the user. Form factors of such portable terminals are diversified according to their purposes, the current trend, or demands of consumers. Bar type portable terminals, such as smart phones or tablet Personal Computers (PCs), which have various functions, are increasingly used.
More particularly, an antenna for communications is provided in a portable terminal such as a smart phone. Antennas may be classified into external antennas protruding outside of portable terminals and internal antennas disposed within portable terminals. In particular, internal antennas are widely used, considering sophistication, good designs, and portability of portable terminals. An antenna provided in a portable terminal according to the related art is disclosed in Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0080945, which published on Jul. 13, 2011 and is entitled ‘Portable Terminal’.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a portable terminal according to the related art, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A′ shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the portable terminal 10 includes a body 11, an antenna 12 disposed within the body 11, a rear case 13 covering the antenna 12 and a module (which will be described below) disposed within the body 11.
Various types of the portable terminal 10 such as a bar type, a slide type, and a folder type may be realized according to a form of the portable terminal 10. The antenna 12 mounted within the body 11 is covered by the rear case 13. Further, in a bar type portable terminal 10, the antenna 12 is disposed at an upper inner side and a lower inner side of the body 11 according to a performance thereof. The rear case 13 has a same size as that of the body 11 to cover the rear surface of the body 11, and is covered by a battery cover 14 or is exposed to the outside. A battery mounting space S is formed in the rear case 13 so that a battery (not shown) may be attached to or detached from the rear case 13. The battery cover 14 is detachably disposed on the rear surface of the body 11 to cover the rear surface of the body 11. For example, the battery cover 14 may cover the entire surface of the rear case 13. In a state in which the portable terminal 10 is stacked, the antenna 12 is provided within the body 11, the rear case 13 covers the surface of the antenna 12, and the battery cover 14 covers the surface of the rear case 13. Further, the antenna 12 is spaced apart from the rear case 13 by a predetermined space to realize a performance thereof. Thus, the rear case 13 and the battery cover 14 are sequentially stacked to cover an upper end of the antenna 12 while the antenna 12 is installed within the body 11. Thus, at a mounting location of the antenna 12 where the portable terminal 10 is folded, a thickness of the portable terminal 10 corresponds to a total sum of a space spaced apart from the rear case 13 on the upper side of the antenna 12, a thickness of the rear case 13, and a thickness of the battery cover 14. Thus, as an overall size of the portable terminal 10 increases, a performance of the antenna 12 cannot be properly realized, which works against further development. Further, a size of the antenna is limited as it is disposed between the body 11 and the rear case 13. For example, as the size of the antenna 12 becomes smaller, the performance of the antenna 12 cannot be properly realized. In addition, when the rear case 13 is formed of a metallic material to increase strength of the portable terminal, the antenna 12 is covered by the metallic rear case 13, lowering a performance of the antenna 12.
Moreover, various modules are provided at an upper end of the body in addition to the antenna. This structure will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
FIG. 3 is a view showing a part disposition structure at an upper end of the portable terminal shown in FIG. 1. More particularly, FIG. 3 shows various parts disposed at an upper end of the body of the portable terminal 11. FIG. 4 is a partial cutaway sectional view showing a portion of the portable terminal shown in FIG. 3.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a speaker module 15 is disposed at a center of an upper end of the body 11 in addition to the antenna described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and a camera module 17, a proximity sensor 16, an ear jack 18, a microphone holder 20, and a broadcasting antenna unit 19 are disposed on opposite sides of the speaker module 15. A window member 24 is mounted to a front surface of the body 11.
The camera module 17 is utilized during a video call or when a user desires to photograph him or herself, and the proximity/illumination sensor 16 is a module in which a proximity sensor and an illumination sensor are integrated, and detects an amount of peripheral light or a contact of a body of a user. A display unit is activated or an intensity of illumination is adjusted according to an amount of peripheral light detected by the proximity/illumination sensor 16. The ear jack 18 is utilized for connection to a general earphone or a headset providing a hands-free function, and the microphone holder 20 is mounted to accommodate the microphone 21. The microphone 23 accommodated in the microphone holder 20 receives peripheral sounds in a voice communication mode, and another microphone is positioned close to the mouth of the user, separately from the microphone 23 accommodated in the microphone holder 20, to receive a voice of the user. A voice of the user is reinforced in a voice communication through a separate voice processing process by comparing sounds input through the microphones, respectively. Further, the microphone 23 accommodated in the microphone holder 20 may be utilized when peripheral sounds including a voice of the user are input when a video is photographed or in a video communication mode. The broadcasting antenna unit 19 is a broadcast receiving antenna, and may be extended outside of the body 11 according to a need of the user while being used. That is, since a broadcast receiving function is utilized only when the user desires to use the broadcast receiving function, unlike a mobile communication function, the broadcasting antenna unit 19 does not need to be always connected to a broadcast receiving circuit and may be structured so as to be extended to be connected to the broadcast receiving circuit only when needed.
Meanwhile, the microphone holder 20 includes a sound wave guide 21, and the sound wave guide 21 extends from one end of the microphone holder 20 and is connected to a through-hole 22 formed in the rear case 13 of the body 11. The sound wave guide 21 connects the microphone 23 accommodated in the microphone holder 20 to the through-hole 22. That is, the sound wave guide 21 is utilized as a sound input wave guide together with the through-hole 22.
The camera module 17, the proximity/illumination sensor 16, speaker module 15, the ear jack 18, the microphone holder 20, and the broadcasting antenna unit 19 are disposed at peripheries of the display unit, and in particular, are generally disposed in parallel to the speaker module 15 disposed at a center of an upper end of the portable terminal. The main board 25 is installed within the body 11, but generally, the main board 25 is not disposed in an area in which the parts at the peripheries of the display unit are disposed. The parts may be connected to the main board 25 through a separate flexible printed circuit board or a connector.
However, as the parts are disposed in parallel to the speaker module, there are many difficulties in miniaturizing the portable terminal, in particular, in reducing a width of the portable terminal. That is, as the parts occupying a physical space are disposed in parallel, a sufficient width needs to be secured for the body of the portable terminal to secure a disposition space of the parts. Moreover, as sound quality is emphasized while a multimedia function of the portable terminal is prioritized, there is a need to secure a sufficient resonance space for the speaker module. However, as the number of parts disposed in parallel to the speaker module increases, there occurs a difficulty in securing a resonance space for the speaker module.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.